Part 1: Beginnings
Lesson 5: A
braham and the
Birth of A People
Session Snapshot
Narrative Passage: Genesis 12:1-5a; Genesis 15, Genesis 21:1-7
Gospel Focus: Galatians 3:25-29
Student Takeaways:
• Students will see how God laid the foundation for a special people through His covenant with
Abraham.
• Students will understand that, through Christ, God extends the covenant offer of adoption to all who
would come to faith in Him.
• Students will consider ways in which The Gospel has the potential to bring people together who may
otherwise not be.
Overview
Family is important. Ideally, it defines who we are and were we find belonging. In this lesson we’re going
to look at how God began the process of choosing His special people, His family. We’ll see His faithfulness
and grace extended to a man named Abraham, the father of the Israelites. It will be clear that God chose
His people not based on what they had to offer, but based on His grace and His purpose. The culmination
of the story, like all stories in the Bible, is Christ. Jesus offers a place to belong, a family to all those who
place their faith in Him.
Teacher Prep Video
Each Thread lesson comes with a Teacher Prep Video. These are short videos designed to help you grasp the
main point of the lesson as you prepare to teach.
To access your Thread lesson 5 Teacher Prep Video, login to your Lesson Manager, navigate to lesson 5, and click on
the “Background” tab. You’ll notice the Teacher Prep Video near the top of the Lesson Manager window.
Bible Background
The Bible Background is designed to help you provide the basic context for the passages you’ll be studying.
• What do we mean by “context”? In every ym360 Bible study lesson we encourage teachers to help
students know who wrote a particular book, when it was written, and why it was written.
•W
hy teach context? Grasping the big-picture view of God’s story of redemption is difficult for teenagers without understanding the context of the books and passages they’re studying.
Genesis
Author: While there’s no specific author named within the text, Moses is the accepted author for Genesis, with
some editing and additions done after his death (such as the account of his death!).
Time frame: It’s difficult to establish with any certainty a date for the completion of the Pentateuch (a name
Week 5: Lesson Plan
©2015 youthministry360
Part 1: Beginnings
Lesson 5: A
braham and the
Birth of A People
for the first five books of the Bible—including Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy—of which Genesis is a part). Most of the material originated from Moses himself, and depending on the date of the Exodus
(which is also not known for sure), that would make the date for the writing of Genesis sometime in the 1400s
or the 1200s BC.
Purpose: Genesis details the earliest history of our world, including creation and Adam and Eves’ fall. It also
focuses on the emergence of Israel, not only as God’s people, but as the group God would work through to
bring redemption to the world.
Galatians
Author: Paul, the persecutor-of-Christians-turned-missionary, is the author of the Letter to the Galatians (see
Acts 7:57-8:3 and 9:1-31). After his conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul set out on several journeys to
proclaim about the salvation that is available through Jesus and His death and resurrection. Several churches
were planted as a result of Paul’s leadership, including the church in Galatia.
Time frame: Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians sometime between 48 and 53 AD, most likely by 49 AD.
Purpose: The primary purpose for Paul’s letter to the Galatians was to respond to a particular issue: a group of
Jews—claiming to also be Christ-followers (many early Christians were Jewish Christians)—had begun to argue that
Christians are not just saved by faith, but that they also were required to keep the Mosaic Law. This, of course, went
against everything Paul knew to be true about Jesus. The main thrust of Paul’s teaching was that there is no work
we could accomplish to be saved (Ephesians 2:8), including the keeping of the Law (Galatians 2:16).
Lesson Plan
The Lesson Plan contains four elements:
• An introductory activity called Getting Started designed to prepare teenagers to engage with God
and the truth of His Word.
• A section entitled The Story featuring a narrative from Scripture that helps teenagers know God better through learning the story of the Bible.
• A special emphasis entitled The Thread where teenagers discover the Gospel thread coursing
throughout the story of the Bible.
• An application-focused segment called Wrapping Up helping teenagers ask the question, “How am I
impacted by what I learned today”?
Getting Started
• Goal: Students will be introduced to the concept of receiving an unbelievable inheritance.
• Set-Up: None
Week 5: Lesson Plan
©2015 youthministry360
Part 1: Beginnings
Lesson 5: A
braham and the
Birth of A People
FIRST, tell your students the story of Athina Onassis Roussel. Say something like this:
• Athina Onassis Roussel is the granddaughter of Aristotle Onassis. Onassis was a Greek billionaire, and
was married to former first-lady, Jacquelyn Kennedy, until his death in 1975. Why does this matter?
Great question. In 1988, when she was three years old, Roussel’s mother passed away, making her the
sole heir to her grandfather’s billion-dollar estate. Trustees managed the money until 2003 when, on
her 18th birthday, Roussel received her inheritance. The inheritance was valued at an estimated $2.7
billion dollars. Crazy, right? A billionaire at 18 years old. So here is the question: What would you do if
you inherited a billion dollars?
Allow students a chance to answer. No doubt you’ll get answers all over the place, which is perfect−the crazier the
answers the better. After everyone has had an opportunity to answer, you could ask the group to choose the best
answers and, depending on your group, the worst.
THEN, lead a brief discussion about inheritance. Ask something like the following:
• Roussel received an unbelievable inheritance. In your own words describe what an inheritance is?
o Answers will vary.
• Why do you think she had to wait until she was 18 years old to seize control of the money? (You could
even point to some of your group’s worst answers as evidence of why it’s wise to wait.)
o Answers will vary.
• Even when she didn’t have full control of the inheritance, who did it belong to?
o Answer: Her. The inheritance was still Roussel’s even though for a period of time other people were
given the power to decide how it was spent.
• When you receive an inheritance, who did the work? Who receives the benefits?
o Answer: The person leaving the inheritance did the work. The person who receives it gets the benefits. An inheritance is an expression of grace: you receive something you don’t deserve.
FINALLY, tell your students that in your lesson today, you’re going to examine God’s promise of an inheritance to a
guy named Abraham and his descendants. Like, Roussel’s fortune, there are elements of the inheritance that were
received immediately, and other elements that Abraham’s family did not receive until much later. Explain that you’re
going to examine what sort of inheritance God has for those who are believers.
If there are no other additions, transition to The Story.
The Story
• Goal: Students will see how God laid the foundation for a special people through His covenant with Abraham.
• Set-Up: None
FIRST, explain that in this lesson you’ll be examining a relationship that God initiated with Abram and his family. If
you’d like, use the “Connecting The Dots” section below to do a little review and/or fill in the gaps from your last lesson
and this one.
Week 5: Lesson Plan
©2015 youthministry360
Part 1: Beginnings
Lesson 5: A
braham and the
Birth of A People
Connecting The Dots
As you teach The Thread, there will naturally be some gaps in the story. This is an optional way for you to fill in some of
the gaps between the last lesson you taught and this one. Use it as a way to review and/or to connect the dots to the
events surrounding the passage.
• Abram is a descendant of Noah’s son, Shem. Abram was born 9 generations after Shem.
• Genesis 11:29-30 tells us Abram married Sarai, and Sarai was unable to have children.
• You may have heard of a guy named Abraham in the Bible. Abram is the same guy. God changed his name
from Abram to Abraham. It is common in the Bible for God to give people new names to reflect their new
relationship with Him.
Inform students that you will be reading three passages that explain God’s relationship with Abram. Then, read or ask
a student to read Genesis 12:1-5a. When you’ve finished, lead students in a brief discussion. Ask:
• Look at the first verse of chapter 12. What command did God give to Abram?
o Answer: God commanded Abram to leave his country and his family and go. God did not tell Abram
where he was going.
• What promises did God make to Abram?
o Answer: God promised to bless Abram, make him a great nation, and make his name great.
• What was the purpose for God’s promises to Abram? Why was God going to greatly bless Abram?
o Answer: Verse 2 says, “so that you will be a blessing.” Verse 3 says, “in you, all the families of the earth
shall be blessed.” God blessed Abram so that through Abram, and through God’s chosen people, all
people would have a chance to know God’s blessing.
• What was Abram’s response to God?
o Answer: Abram went, just like God told him to.
THEN, explain to your students that this passage shows us God’s desire to have a special people. His purpose for
choosing a special people was to bless everyone else. In other words, God chose His people so that they would be
the messengers of God’s blessing to all other people. Explain that God would one day send Jesus as the Savior to the
Israelites, and to the entire world.
NEXT, ask your students to turn to Genesis 15. Explain in this chapter Abram has some legitimate questions regarding
God’s promises to him. Read or ask a student to read Genesis 15:1-6. Then, ask:
• What is Abraham’s first question? Why is he uncertain about God’s promise to him?
o Answer: Abram still doesn’t have a child to be his heir. This is a problem because God promised
Abram that he would be the father of a great nation. It’s hard to be the father of a great nation, when
you’re not a father at all!
• How does God respond to Abram’s question? What picture does God give to Abram to illustrate how
numerous his descendants would be?
o Answer: God assures Abram that his heir will be his own son, not Eliezer or anyone else. He tells
Abram that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky.
• How does Abram respond to God’s reassurance of His promise?
o Answer: Abram believes God. Or we could say it another way, Abram trusts God to make good on His
promises.
Week 5: Lesson Plan
©2015 youthministry360
Part 1: Beginnings
Lesson 5: A
braham and the
Birth of A People
THEN, instruct your students to look at Genesis 15:7-16. Remind them that Abram has a second concern about God’s
promises. Ask:
• What is Abram’s second question for God?
o Answer: Abram wants to know how he can be certain that he will possession the land that God
promised him.
• What does God explain to Abram about the future of his descendants?
o Answer: God tells Abram that his descendants will be in slavery for four hundreds years, but He will
rescue them and give them the land that He promised to them.
• Can you summarize the ritual that God asked Abram to perform in verses 9-11?
o Answer: God asked Abram to sacrifice a cow, goat, ram, turtledove, and pigeon by cutting them in
half and laying the halves against each other.
NEXT, have a student read Genesis 15:17-21. Then, ask:
• What was God’s part of the ritual?
o Answer: God appeared as a smoking pot and a torch and passed between the animal sacrifices.
• OK, we know a ritual is symbolic. Can anyone remember ever having learned anything about this covenant ritual and what it symbolizes?
o Answer: Unpack this for your students. Explain to your students that God’s answer to Abram’s second
question is very different from the first one. God ask Abram to prepare for a ritual that symbolized
God’s covenant with Abram.
• Does anyone know what a covenant is? How is a covenant different from a contract?
o Answer: A contract is dependent on both parties upholding what they agreed to. If uphold your
end of the deal, then I’ll hold up my end. A covenant is different because both parties in a covenant do what they have agreed to do regardless of the other party. I do my part, even if you fail
to uphold your end.
• Why is this an important distinction to understand in this passage?
o Answer: God will create His special people even if Abram doesn’t perfectly uphold his end of the
agreement. God is calling His people based on His character and His promises, not based on the
worthiness of the people.
• How does the ritual illustrate God’s covenant and commitment to Abram and his future descendants?
o Answer: Only God walks through the sacrificed animals. He is symbolically stating that He will keep
His promise regardless of Abram’s, or Abram’s descendants, ability to keep the promise.
• What does this teach us about the character of God?
o Answer: He is faithful, even when we are faithless. He does what He promises even if we don’t hold
up our end of the deal. This is called God’s covenant faithfulness.
NEXT, tell your students to go to Genesis 21:1-7. Explain that in this passage we are going to see an example of God
keeping His covenant with Abram, now known as Abraham. Read or ask a student to read Genesis 21:1-7. Ask:
• How do we see God keeping His promise to Abraham in this passage?
o Answer: God blesses Abraham and Sarai (now Sarah) with a son, just like He promised.
• Now Abraham has a son who will be his heir. What will Isaac inherit from his father as his heir?
Week 5: Lesson Plan
©2015 youthministry360
Part 1: Beginnings
Lesson 5: A
braham and the
Birth of A People
o Answer: Your students will more than likely come up with the obvious inheritance of property. Make
sure to point out to them that if God is going to build a people from Abraham’s descendants, then
He is also going to use Isaac to birth a great nation. As heir, Isaac is not only receiving his father’s
stuff, but he is also inheriting the promises of God.
FINALLY, acknowledge to your students they may be asking how on earth this story impacts their lives. “Who cares if
God made a promise to Abraham thousands of years ago?” Assure them this story has massive implications for them
which they will see as you look at one more passage.
If students don’t have any questions, transition into The Thread and discover where we see the connection of the Gospel to the big-picture narrative of Scripture.
The Thread
FIRST, instruct your students to turn to Galatians 3:25-29. Remind them the descendants of Abraham were to be God’s
special, chosen people in order that His people would be a blessing to all the “families” of the earth. Also, remind them
that God had been faithful to His promise to give Abraham and Sarah a son.
Read or ask a student to read Galatians 3:25-26. Explain to your students that Ask:
• How do these verses describe our relationship to God?
o Answer: We are sons of God. (Important Note: While this passage uses masculine language, it does
intend to include women, so we are sons and daughters of God.)
• What does God require of us in order for us to be considered His sons or daughters?
o Answer: Faith and faith alone.
• In your own words, describe faith. When the Bible instructs us to have faith, what is it asking us to do?
o Answer: Faith is trust. The Bible is asking us to completely trust Jesus, His crucifixion, and His resurrection to save us from sin and death. Here is the mind-blowing truth in these verses: just like God
chose Abraham based on his faith, not his works, He, likewise, adopts us into His family by our faith,
not our works. When we place our faith in Jesus, God brings us into His family as sons and daughters.
We become a member of His chosen family, the same family that God promised to Abraham thousands of years ago.
NEXT, read or ask a student to read Galatians 3:27-28. Before they read, you might want to remind them at the time
when Galatians was written, Jews did not consider Gentiles, slaves, and women as equals, but more along the lines of
second class citizens. Explain to your students that when we’re adopted into Jesus’ family, we become brothers and
sisters with a diverse group of people. We’re now family with people that we might not have even acknowledged previously. Ask something like:
• Are you encouraged by this truth? In what ways?
o Answers will vary.
• How does it make you feel to know you are connected with a huge, diverse family through Christ?
o Answers will vary.
Week 5: Lesson Plan
©2015 youthministry360
Part 1: Beginnings
Lesson 5: A
braham and the
Birth of A People
FINALLY, read or ask a student to read verse 29. Tell your students that this verse ties our entire lesson together by
making it clear that believers in Jesus are now heirs to the same promise God gave to Abraham.
• What does it mean to you to know that you are included in God’s special people and an heir to God’s
promises?
o Answers will vary.
• Think back to Genesis 12, the passage we started with, and answer this question: “Why”? For what
purpose did God adopt you into His family? (Think back to why God chose Abraham’s family at the
beginning.)
o Answer: You were blessed in order that you might be a blessing. God blessed us by adopting us into
His family, so that we, like Abraham’s family, could be a blessing to others.
If there are no more questions, transition to Wrapping Up.
Wrapping Up
Goal: Students will consider ways in which the Gospel has the potential to bring people together who may
otherwise not be.
Set-Up: Paper and pens or pencils. Or you could use a board and dry erase markers.
FIRST, hand out a piece of paper and a pen or pencil to every student in your group. Ask them to think of as many
different groups or cliques in their school as they possibly can. Instruct them to write down a brief description or name
of each group around the edge of the paper, so that there is a huge blank space in the middle of the page.
SECOND, once they have a decent number of groups written down, ask them to create a list of things that make each
of those groups unique.
NEXT, instruct them to write Jesus’ name in the middle of the page. Ask them to consider how these different groups
might be able to connect with each other if Jesus were the unifying factor in their lives. (Examples might include, forgiveness, grace, adoption, mission, or tons of other implications of the Gospel.) They can draw lines, or make notes, or
anything else that visually shows connection through Christ. The point is to help them visually see that knowing Christ
brings unity between people in the vitally important aspects of their lives.
FINALLY, lead students in a brief discussion. Ask:
• What are some characteristics you wrote down that separate people from each other?
• What are some characteristics that unite people?
• How does knowing Christ change how you see other people? Treat other people? Value other people?
If students don’t have any more questions or comments, challenge them to implement this teaching this week, seeing
Week 5: Lesson Plan
©2015 youthministry360
Part 1: Beginnings
Lesson 5: A
braham and the
Birth of A People
others as Christ sees them, and being the unifying factor that draws people together. Then, close in prayer.
• If you’ve purchased the Tracing The Thread devotional journal, remind students that they’ll be working through Week 5 this week. Encourage them to keep up with the daily devotions, and to give memorizing this week’s verse their best shot.
• If you’ll be utilizing the digital devotions included in the Thread curriculum, remind students how
you’ll be making them available, i.e., Instagram, Facebook, etc.
• Use the Social Media guide to stay in touch with students via text or Twitter, and to encourage them to
follow through with reading their devotions.
We Want To Hear From You . . .
• Do you have questions about a lesson?
• Something that worked particularly well you want to share?
• Something that didn’t work you want to bring up?
We value your feedback! Please do not hesitate to email us with your questions, comments,
or concerns, at [email protected].
Week 5: Lesson Plan
©2015 youthministry360